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Bulgari Goes Big with a Pair of Opulent LVMH Watch Week Releases Worn & Wound
Bulgari Goes Big Jan 19, 2026

Bulgari Goes Big with a Pair of Opulent LVMH Watch Week Releases

There are two things I really like about Bulgari. The first being that I’m not entirely sure how to spell their brand’s name. Bulgari? Bvlgari? Both? A secret third option? At any rate, I find it a bit chic to have a bit of runic ambiguity in a modern-day brand. The second thing I enjoy is their commitment to glamour. In today’s fashion and jewelry market, there is an inundation of simplistic, minimalistic styles. Personally speaking, I’m quite fond of dressing like I live in the Nordics, but a bit of eye candy every now and then never hurt anyone. That is to say, I’m quite pleased to share the release of two new watches, which will be presented in Milan during LVMH Watch Week, beginning today. Let me introduce you to: Maglia Milanese Monete and Tubogas Manchette. First up, the Maglia Milanese Monete revisits Bulgari’s Monete concept from the mid-1960s, centered around an authentic Roman coin from the reign of Emperor Caracalla. It is paired with a rose gold Milanese mesh bracelet, marking the brand’s first use of the technique and giving the watch a more fluid look on the wrist, nodding more to Bulgari’s jewelry-making history. The dial itself is concealed beneath the coin, while the watch is powered by Bulgari’s Piccolissimo BVP100. The manually wound movement measures just 13.5mm in diameter and 2.5mm thick, and offers a 30-hour power reserve, which can be viewed through the sapphire caseback. Next, the Tubogas Manchette takes its cues from a 1970s des...

Why Car Enthusiast Joe Ottati Collects Cars and Watches for the Same Reasons Worn & Wound
Casio Jan 9, 2026

Why Car Enthusiast Joe Ottati Collects Cars and Watches for the Same Reasons

Joe Ottati is the owner of Ottati Car Detailing, a founder of VALT Auto Club, and a part-time Auction Specialist for Cars & Bids. He is also a co-host of the VALT podcast, which can be found on YouTube.  Soft-spoken but always ready for a chat, many Bay Area car enthusiasts have likely had a conversation with Joe Ottati from the other side of a folding table, beneath a big VALT Auto Club tent. As one of the club’s founders, Ottati’s dedication to growing the car scene in the Bay Area and keeping it as inclusive and positive as possible can easily be seen in the way he interacts with everyone that comes through the tent: with kindness and small hints of the vast wealth of car knowledge within. But cars aren’t Ottati’s only hobby; he extends that interest in all things mechanical to his wrist, too. Like most of us watch nerds, Ottati’s first timepiece came in the form of a Casio. As an 8th grade graduation gift, he received a green G-SHOCK, a watch that he still owns. “It still keeps accurate time on the same battery, fourteen years later,” he says. We are currency outside his shop in Concord, where he details cars as his main job. Inside, a smörgåsbord of European beauties lie in wait, but he steers the conversation back to watches, first. “After graduating high school, I was gifted an Autodromo Stradale, which was my first mechanical watch,” he explains, “I wore it literally every day for years.” The exhibition caseback displaying the Miyota moveme...

The Seiko 5T52-7A19: An Ode to the Age of Discovery Worn & Wound
Seiko 5T52-7A19 Jan 5, 2026

The Seiko 5T52-7A19: An Ode to the Age of Discovery

I’ve never had many gold-tone watches in my collection, and it’s simply because I don’t have much gold jewelry to match. The benefit to this is that I’ve always been incredibly critical of the gold-tone watches I contemplate adding to my collection, knowing that I only want a few in my watch box overall. I acquired this 5T52-7A19 a couple of months ago after a spur-of-the-moment faceoff between me and the “buy it now” button on eBay.  While I had owned a model from Seiko’s Age of Discovery line many years ago, I had never come into contact with one of the higher-end models from the collection. I’ve remained true to my self-implemented rule for gold-tone watches, meaning that this model will have the honor of forcing my hand to sell off another piece from the watch box. If you’ve been thinking about adding another gold-tone watch to your collection, let me introduce you to a staunch contender. Brief Overview of the Age of Discovery Line and -7A19 Model The Seiko Age of Discovery was introduced sometime between 1990 and 1992 to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ 1492 voyage. Based on the historical time period of the same name, the Age of Discovery series is heavily influenced by the nautical theming associated with the many expeditions of European travelers between the 15th and 17th centuries. Many of the line’s watches feature motifs that harken back to crucial aspects of seafaring travel, sporting iconography such as maps, ...

Kurono Tokyo Introduces Meteorite to the Collection with the New Inseki Worn & Wound
Kurono Tokyo Introduces Meteorite Jan 5, 2026

Kurono Tokyo Introduces Meteorite to the Collection with the New Inseki

Kurono Tokyo, Hajime Asaoka’s approachable watch brand, has introduced their first new release of 2026 on the very first workday of the year. Nothing like getting right back into the swing of things. The new piece, part of the brand’s “Special Projects” series, introduces meteorite to the collection for the first time. The Inseki features many of the Kurono hallmarks that have made the brand a favorite among enthusiasts over these last several years, while riding a trend in watchmaking in a rather elegant way that still feels appropriate for the brand.  The centerpiece of the watch is the gray meteorite dial, taken from the Muonionalusta meteorite which fell in what is now Sweden about one million years ago. The small slab of meteorite, with the familiar striations that make the material so interesting, is surrounded by a white lacquered outer ring where you’ll find Asaoka’s custom “Calligra” typeface numerals, which have been painted in high relief. It’s a really spare execution, accented by hand bent, high polish steel hands, a design detail that has become a Kurono signature.  Kurono notes that, as with all meteorite dials, no two are exactly the same. Asaoka, in the press materials for the Inseki, further explains that sometimes the variance in this material results in a piece of meteorite that is not particularly visually interesting. For this release, Asaoka has personally selected each piece of meteorite for inclusion in the Inseki’s run, and t...

Hands-On With The Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Extreme GMT Fratello
Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Extreme GMT Jan 3, 2026

Hands-On With The Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Extreme GMT

Christopher Ward released a great stream of watches in 2025. One of our highlights, based on seeing the pictures and reading the press release, at least, was the C63 Sealander Extreme GMT. While we have seen more technically savvy releases from Christopher Ward, the C63 Sealander Extreme GMT is a reminder of what makes it […] Visit Hands-On With The Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Extreme GMT to read the full article.

Fratello’s Top 5 Surprising Watches Of 2025 - Featuring Richard Mille, Louis Vuitton, And More Fratello
Richard Mille Louis Vuitton Jan 2, 2026

Fratello’s Top 5 Surprising Watches Of 2025 - Featuring Richard Mille, Louis Vuitton, And More

Happy New Year, everyone! We hope you had a great end to 2025 and a fresh start to 2026. On this first Friday of the year, we continue our series of lists covering the best watches of 2025. Today’s list highlights watches that you may have overlooked last year. Here are the five watches that […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Surprising Watches Of 2025 - Featuring Richard Mille, Louis Vuitton, And More to read the full article.

Year in Review: Predictions for 2026 SJX Watches
Christopher Ward Dec 26, 2025

Year in Review: Predictions for 2026

Twenty twenty-six is just days away. Most in the watch industry are hoping the new year will bring better times than 2025, though most equally don’t quite expect that to happen. That said, it will be a great year for some brands, big and small. Architectural and affordable Independent watch brands have had a great run, and that looks like it’ll continue, especially for (expensive) time-only watches with decorated movements and frequently, open or no dials. Plenty of independent watchmakers cater to this demand, all for more or less the same money. Personally, I find many such watches uninteresting – though a few stand out and feel like they will stand the test of time – but the strength of demand will propel this trend. I expect two more interesting developments to emerge from this. One is watches priced lower, or much lower, than the typical CHF65,000-90,000 range for such watches. Ironically, while lower priced options might offer better value, they might be less appealing precisely because they are cheaper. That said, there is still opportunity in this segment, especially since lower prices often go hand-in-hand with higher volumes, so the market will gradually fulfil it, particularly since the way forward is obvious. Functionally, such watches are not complex. Computer-aided design makes it even simpler by allowing manufacturers to rework existing calibres with relative ease; Christopher Ward is already doing something along these lines with the C12. And decora...

Year in Review: the “Sleeper” Watches of 2025 Worn & Wound
Zenith G.F.J.  Dec 25, 2025

Year in Review: the “Sleeper” Watches of 2025

How does one define a “sleeper” watch? We put together a guide a few years ago and basically came to the conclusion that a sleeper watch is one that is great but not obvious about it. A better framing might be that these are “if you know, you know” watches. They all have some attribute that makes them incredibly special but it’s not always readily apparent or widely understood.  Honestly, I love a sleeper and always have. I think it’s a natural focus for a collector, and as you see more and more watches, it paradoxically becomes more difficult to identify the sleepers, because nothing really “sleeps” when you’re highly engaged in a hobby like this.  Zenith G.F.J.  The Zenith G.F.J. is a sleeper because it’s so specific and so hard to see, it’s just not really out there all that much in the broader watch media landscape. But man, it’s great. It’s a tribute of sorts to Zenith’s history as true pioneers in chronometry, but the appeal for this watch to me is purely aesthetic. It’s a study in blue, with multiple tones in multiple materials and finishes. From a distance, it’s nice looking enough, but you really have to examine it close up, with a loupe, to get a sense of the contrasts and how special the use of lapis lazuli is in particular.  And then there’s the bracelet. The G.F.J. is rendered in platinum, and the case is fantastic, but on the full platinum bracelet (which effectively doubles the price of the watch) it really makes an impr...

Our Favorite Divers Of 2025 Teddy Baldassarre
Dec 22, 2025

Our Favorite Divers Of 2025

With 2025 coming to a close, the editorial team at Teddy is eager to share some of our favorite new releases of the year. We’ll be starting with one of the more competitive and popular categories out there: dive watches. Really any given year is a big year for divers but 2025 had some refreshed heavy hitters as well as some new entries that push the limits of watchmaking technology. We attempted to keep our final picks somewhat tight but there is, of course, a honorable mentions section at the end where we go through some notable new releases from the year. So, without further ado let’s get into our favorite new divers from 2025. [toc-section heading="Longines Legend Diver"]  The category of vintage-inspired divers has only gotten more competitive in recent years, but Longines has managed to deliver a truly wearable and memorable lineup with its Legend Diver collection. Fully refreshed and reimagined in 2024, this white dial take on the line is the latest addition to the family, and has become the missing piece to making the entire collection feel complete, well-rounded, and versatile. It feels right at home with its other family members, carrying on the 39mm diameter, and slim 12.7mm case profile that makes it easy to wear when you aren’t about to dive into the deep, though its 300 meters of water resistance means you very well can without worry. The mid-century design cues look particularly handsome with the crisp white backdrop of the dial, and, combined with the...

eBay Finds: Two Classic Seiko Dive Watches, a Stunning Vintage Movado, and the Strangest Timex We’ve Ever Seen Worn & Wound
Girard-Perregaux   Next up Dec 19, 2025

eBay Finds: Two Classic Seiko Dive Watches, a Stunning Vintage Movado, and the Strangest Timex We’ve Ever Seen

eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion. Vintage Seiko 6309-7049  Got some great stuff for you this week, starting off with this classic and iconic vintage Seiko 6309-7049. Small rant here, the seller calls it a “turtle”, and I know lots of others do too, but damn I hate that nickname. Anyway, horrible nickname notwithstanding, the 6309 is a brilliant diver that really shouldn’t need any introduction. This example is really nice, and looks all original with a touch of honest wear. The steel case looks unpolished with the original brushed and polished finishes and sharp edges. The black dial looks great with nicely aged lume. The bezel insert is original with some light wear and a little fading that gives it a touch of that lovely ghost bezel look. Movement is clean and runs well per the seller. Great original example of a highly desirable vintage Seiko diver. View auction here Vintage 1950s Girard-Perregaux  Next up is a sweet vintage Girard-Perregaux sport/dress watch. The 31mm steel case is excellent, unpolished with crisp edges and nice polished finish. It features fancy horned style lugs that really pop. The original cream dial is a beauty, with a quite pleasant, even patina to it. It has applied steel markers and ...

Parts Of A Watch: Everything You Need To Know Teddy Baldassarre
Dec 19, 2025

Parts Of A Watch: Everything You Need To Know

If you're new to the watch appreciation game and anxious to engage in discussions, debates, and diatribes with fellow aficionados who have been into the hobby longer, you may have hesitated for one important reason: nailing the proper terminology. "What are all the parts of a watch called, anyway?" you may have asked yourself in moments of doubt. Never fear: we've assembled a primer below on all the important parts of a watch and what they do. [toc-section heading="The Watch Case"] The case is the outer shell of the watch, comparable to the chassis of a car. While a handful of cases are milled from a single block of metal (and called “monobloc”), most of them consist of three main parts, the caseback, case middle or casebody, and bezel. Cases can be made of a wide variety of materials, including but not limited to: plastic, resin, stainless steel, titanium, bronze, ceramic, various types of gold, and other precious metals such as platinum.Cases that combine different materials for their parts (i.e., a steel casebody and a gold or ceramic bezel) are referred to as “two-tone,” “bi-metal,” or “bi-material.”  [text-media heading="" text="The most traditional watch cases are round though watchmakers have used a variety of other shaped cases, some of which have become iconically associated with certain brands and models. These include cushion-shaped (“coussin”) cases, such as on the Panerai Luminor and Piaget Polo; square and rectangular cases, such as on t...

Fratello’s Top 5 Complicated Watches Of 2025 - Featuring Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet, Breguet, And More Fratello
Vacheron Constantin Audemars Piguet Breguet Dec 19, 2025

Fratello’s Top 5 Complicated Watches Of 2025 - Featuring Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet, Breguet, And More

Another Friday, another list! This week, we selected our five favorite complicated watches released in 2025. Indeed, many contenders were fighting for a spot among these. We have seen many impressive releases that either introduced new technologies or were groundbreaking due to the sheer number of complications involved. In life, though, it’s not just about […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Complicated Watches Of 2025 - Featuring Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet, Breguet, And More to read the full article.

Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Of 2025 - Daan’s Picks From MB&F;, Parmigiani Fleurier, Tissot, And More Fratello
Parmigiani Fleurier Tissot Dec 16, 2025

Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Of 2025 - Daan’s Picks From MB&F;, Parmigiani Fleurier, Tissot, And More

Finally, it’s my turn to tell you about my picks for the best watches of 2025. Several of my colleagues have already published theirs. Some chose watches that I’d also scribbled down for my list. Luckily, though, there were many great releases this year, so I’m happy to report that I can still highlight five […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Of 2025 - Daan’s Picks From MB&F;, Parmigiani Fleurier, Tissot, And More to read the full article.

Hands-On With The Stunning Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante Arctic Rose Fratello
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante Dec 14, 2025

Hands-On With The Stunning Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante Arctic Rose

Parmigiani Fleurier is a remarkable player in today’s horological landscape. The brand’s design aesthetic is unique, with the clever use of color being particularly admirable, and the technological innovations are nothing short of impressive. These aspects have made Parmigiani Fleurier both easy to love and easy to reject. Let’s be honest; it’s certainly not a […] Visit Hands-On With The Stunning Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante Arctic Rose to read the full article.

Rolex Kermit Review: The First Green Submariner Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex Dec 11, 2025

Rolex Kermit Review: The First Green Submariner

The watch enthusiast community has a way with nicknames, especially when it comes to Rolex. While the Crown has never embraced the proliferation of highly specified pet-names for its most popular models outright, it is a helpful shorthand for quickly differentiating between references. Especially if you, like me, have difficulty pulling reference numbers off the top of your head. We’ve already covered some of the other mean green makes from the Crown in depth, like the Rolex Hulk and the Submariner Starbucks. Today, we’re going to be wading into the weeds of the Submariner, nicknamed after the world’s most famous frog, and getting into the nitty-gritty of how it came to be, and how to differentiate it from other similar-hued Rolex watches.  [toc-section heading="Context and History"]  Image: Bonhams While the history of Rolex’s most iconic can be traced back to the early 1950s, the story of the “Submariner” Kermit is a much more contemporary one. If you’re in the mood for a more in-depth historical lesson, I will refer you now to our complete guide to the Submariner here. This leg of our journey starts in 2003, a major anniversary year for the Rolex Sub. As watchmakers are wont to do, the Crown decided to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Submariner with a special anniversary edition. In a playful move that polarized the purist collectors, Rolex debuted the Submariner reference 16610LV, which was differentiated most obviously by its bright green bezel. Th...

Hands-On: the Tissot PRX Damascus Steel 38mm – One of the Biggest Surprises of 2025 Worn & Wound
Tissot PRX Damascus Steel 38mm Dec 11, 2025

Hands-On: the Tissot PRX Damascus Steel 38mm – One of the Biggest Surprises of 2025

It’s pretty uncommon for a watch line to maintain top-of-mind relevance with the watch community for more than a couple of years. Trends change, the hype spotlight shifts, and newness becomes necessary. We’ve seen brands try to push watches past their expiration points, resulting in diminished excitement and inevitably disappointing. With that said, one line that has endured far longer than I would have expected and is still going strong is the Tissot PRX. Launched in 2021, the PRX was an early entry into the affordable integrated sports watch category, which has also lasted longer than I would have bet. Yet despite being “several” years old, Tissot continues to surprise with updates to the PRX line, keeping it genuinely exciting. Smartly, they haven’t just used it as a throwback line, but rather to experiment with materials that typically come with a higher price tag. Notably, last year they made a forged carbon-fiber version that was lightweight and stealthy. While a material that had come downstream, so to speak, in the years prior, it was still unexpected from Tissot. But 2025’s entry wasn’t just surprising for Tissot; it was surprising for any large-scale brand, especially an affordable one. If you told me I’d be wearing a Damascus steel Tissot that cost $1,175 a few years ago, I would have said, “shut your face!” Just kidding, but I would have been immensely skeptical. An artisanal material, often seen in knife making, it’s scarcely used in watc...

Owner’s Perspective: Seiko 5 Sports SKX SRPL87K In The Vibrant Yellow Dial WatchAdvice
Seiko 5 Sports SKX SRPL87K Dec 5, 2025

Owner’s Perspective: Seiko 5 Sports SKX SRPL87K In The Vibrant Yellow Dial

A bright yellow Seiko that reminds you that watches are meant to be fun. They don’t all have to be technical and serious, just pure enjoyment on the wrist! This is my story with the SRPL87K. What We Love The mango-yellow dial brings instant personality and fun to any outfit. It’s an easy grab-and-go mechanical watch you never have to think twice about. The 5-link bracelet upgrade elevates the whole look far more than expected. What We Don’t The lume is good, but not as strong as some other Seiko models. 100m water resistance is fine, but 200m would’ve felt closer to classic SKX DNA. No bracelet option for the yellow dial out of the box — a missed opportunity given how good it looks on one. Overall Rating: 8.6/10 Value for money: 9/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 8.5/10 Build quality: 8.5/10 There’s something about Seiko’s SKX range that leaves an impression on you. Even if you never owned the original model, the SKX collection of modern is the entry-level diver and the perfect canvas for those who love to mod their timepieces. It is the watch that turned a lot of casual wearers into full enthusiasts! While Seiko may have closed the chapter on the original SKX line many years ago, the spirit of the collection certainly didn’t disappear. There have been many modern iterations in Seiko’s current collections that have been inspired by SKX models of the past, each carrying hints of the familiar dive watch DNA: the practicality, the simplicity, everyday toughnes...

Breguet Ends a Big Anniversary Year with the Impressive Expérimentale 1 Worn & Wound
Breguet Ends Dec 1, 2025

Breguet Ends a Big Anniversary Year with the Impressive Expérimentale 1

As if winning the top prize at the GPHG were not enough, Breguet has capped off their big 250th anniversary year with the launch of what is surely their most horologically interesting and cutting edge release in years. The Expérimentale 1 is an ambitious foray into contemporary haute horlogerie from a brand that more than most is associated with classicism. It incorporates and merges multiple technologies and advancements into a remarkably cohesive idea that might even have those of us who have always bristled at the controversial Marine collection rethinking its potential.  The showstopping feature of the new Expérimentale 1 is the tourbillon, the first ever to beat at 10 Hz. Bregust is quick to remind us that most tourbillons run at a rate of 2.5 Hz, so this represents a dramatic increase and in theory should provide a variety of chronometric benefits, including rate stability over the duration of the power reserve and a better baseline level of accuracy. But it’s not just a high frequency tourbillon. Breguet has also developed and introduced a new magnetic escapement that is designed to provide constant force to the balance. The logic here is fairly straightforward even if the mechanics themselves are, frankly, somewhat difficult wrap your arms around without real watchmaking experience (this, by the way, is essentially my constant of being as I observe similar watchmaking advancements – wide eyed and impressed but quite frequently confused by all the math and ph...

Breguet Reimagines the Classic Répétition Minutes SJX Watches
Breguet Reimagines Dec 1, 2025

Breguet Reimagines the Classic Répétition Minutes

Along with the flagship Classique Grande Sonnerie Métiers d’Art 1905 pocket watch, Breguet just announced its first water-resistant minute repeater, the Classique Répétition Minutes 7365. While this 250th anniversary edition with a Breguet gold case and Bleu de France grand feu enamel dial is limited to 25 examples, it likely represents the future of the brand’s chiming watches: smaller and more robust. Initial Thoughts Despite the strong popularity chiming watches have seen at the high end for many years, it has felt like something of a weak point for Breguet, reliant on rather old movements that didn’t always sound the best. The ambitious and wild Tradition Répétition Minutes Tourbillon 7087 promised to fix this in 2018, but for unknown reasons that watch never made it to market. However, acoustically Breguet’s repeaters have become quite good despite the old bones, proving how key gongs and case construction are to repeaters. The 7087 doubles down on this approach, not even introducing a silent centrifugal governor which has become ubiquitous in modern chiming watches, even at the high end – the sound of which I’ve come to find quaint. The move to smaller sizes, 42 mm to 39 might be more dictated by market trends rather than any specific vision from the brand, but is one I appreciate either way, and while water resistance isn’t strictly necessary in a chiming watch, the peace of mind is reassuring. In the end, this watch comes down to how much you lik...

Who Was Jean-Adrien Philippe? The Story Of The Watchmaking Half Of Patek Philippe Fratello
Patek Philippe La Bazoche-Gouët Nov 29, 2025

Who Was Jean-Adrien Philippe? The Story Of The Watchmaking Half Of Patek Philippe

La Bazoche-Gouët is a small town in the French Loire Valley. Today, roughly 1,215 people live there. In 1815, the number of inhabitants could have been a bit higher or a bit lower, but it’s safe to say that La Bazoche-Gouët was never a bustling hub of activity. It is a beautiful spot, though. The […] Visit Who Was Jean-Adrien Philippe? The Story Of The Watchmaking Half Of Patek Philippe to read the full article.

In-Depth – The Superb Breguet Classique 7225, and the Refinement of the Magnetic Pivot Monochrome
Breguet Classique 7225 Nov 26, 2025

In-Depth – The Superb Breguet Classique 7225, and the Refinement of the Magnetic Pivot

Until recently, for those who have followed Breguet‘s exploits in modern chronometry, one watch has long occupied a special place: the Classique Chronométrie 7727, from 2013. The 7727 demonstrated what high frequency could achieve when combined with silicon components and, quite provocatively, when magnetism, a force that watchmaking usually fears, was not only controlled but […]

Complicated Collectors: Gerd Ahrens SJX Watches
Breguet pocket watch No 4763 Nov 26, 2025

Complicated Collectors: Gerd Ahrens

In the autumn of 1948, at Galerie Fischer’s auction house in Lucerne, a young Swiss watchmaker secured Lot 155, a Breguet pocket watch, No. 4763, circa 1848, with a straight-line club-tooth lever escapement. The case, fitted later by E. Brown at George Daniels’s suggestion to employ original movements and parts held in stock, aligned with his purpose. For most collectors, such a purchase might not have represented a pure Breguet. But for Gerd Ahrens, it was something altogether different: the first sentence in what would become a four-century narrative of mechanical ingenuity. Gerd Ahrens in his shop office on Schwanenplatz 7 around 1955. Image – Gerd Ahrens Foundation: a life built on wheels and springs Gerd Ahrens was born on September 18, 1920, in Hamburg, Germany, at a time when mechanical watches represented the pinnacle of portable precision. His father, Otto Ahrens, born in 1877, had already established himself as a highly respected watchmaker. Otto’s path, however, would be marked by the upheavals of the twentieth century. Before World War I, he had operated a successful shop in Paris and had built connections throughout the watchmaking centres of Inner Switzerland. The evidence of his skill was tangible: Otto personally built ten pocket watches, demonstrating not just commercial acumen but genuine mastery of the craft. Then the war came. Otto was forced to close his Paris shop in 1914, and the conflict left him penniless. A trained craftsman of the highest...

Fratello’s Top 5 Late Highlights Of 2025 - Featuring Grand Seiko, Lebois & Co, Nomos, And More… Fratello
Grand Seiko Lebois & Co Nomos Nov 21, 2025

Fratello’s Top 5 Late Highlights Of 2025 - Featuring Grand Seiko, Lebois & Co, Nomos, And More…

Another Friday, another list! This week, we shine the spotlight on five recent highlights that may make it onto our year-end lists. Just when you thought 2025 was coming to an end, we have seen some amazing new watches. With Dubai Watch Week, the horological calendar has an event late in the year that is […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Late Highlights Of 2025 - Featuring Grand Seiko, Lebois & Co, Nomos, And More… to read the full article.

First Look – The New and Innovative TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph Air 1 Monochrome
TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph Air Nov 19, 2025

First Look – The New and Innovative TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph Air 1

The TAG Heuer Monaco, along with the Carrera, has long been a platform for technical bravura, and the new Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph Air 1 takes the idea into the next decade by marrying a rattrapante calibre with radically rethought case architecture and additive-manufacturing technology. Let’s have a look at what surely is one of the […]

Review: the Zelos Comet 39 ‘MOP’ Worn & Wound
Nov 17, 2025

Review: the Zelos Comet 39 ‘MOP’

Singaporean independent brand Zelos is known for their colorful and texture-forward dials that strike a nice balance between affordability and unique design. Each new creation seems to drive their overall image forward in eclectic ways that keep the brand from fitting too rigidly into any one box. While Zelos is often associated with their sub $1,000 tool watches, they have made spectacular forays into the space of haute complications and uncommon materials in recent years. Their release of the Mirage in 2020, a watch that featured a tourbillon at a competitive $11,000 pricepoint, and their work using tantalum as a case material, is proof that the brand is committed to stretching the imagination regarding what a microbrand is capable of.  Their newest release, the Comet 39, joins the ranks of the recent trend of stone dials we’ve seen permeating the hobby in the past few years. Since the trend is fairly new, my experience with stone dials is limited, and I was looking forward to getting hands-on with this piece. I was lucky to be able to pick up this review watch in-person at the Windup Watch Fair in New York City a few weeks ago while I was visiting. Complementary sizing by David Lane Design at Windup allowed me to wear the watch around the city during my trip and get a sense for how it moved with me during high-volume days. The Mother of Pearl (MOP) edition is one in a series of three Comet watches in the brand’s new Comet 39 line, all of which are crafted with vari...